The Day-Care Center for Sparklings
by Prime627
Summary: Cybertron has a day-care center for the future of Cybertron: the sparklings. It's no surprise who is the bully, who is the cutie-pie, and who takes the most abuse. (Might turn into a series!)
1. Chapter 1

In the beginning, there was…

A day-care.

Do not let its looks deceive you. Once the door closes and your carrier or sire leaves you behind in the padded rooms with countless toys, you are never coming back out until your parents retrieve you. And in that time, you are subject to the laws of the Day-Care Center for Sparklings.

In this day-care, there were sparklings that were to be great leaders, and great medics, and great warriors, but they were not to be so yet. Right now, they were great protectors of toys, and blocks.

The newest arrival was at the bottom of the pecking order, and the little mechling was called Orion Pax.

Megatronus looked up from roughly tugging on Starscream's sensitive wings and he pushed the little Seekerling away. "Who is that?"

Orion blinked around, holding onto his pedes as he rocked back and forth on his aft. He was perfectly content with what he was doing, and had no need for the toys strewn across the ground. He enjoyed just watching everyone else play.

Starscream took an instant disliking to the little sparkling and his wings twitched in anger. Megatronus was more concerned with the new arrival than with him! He whined for Megatronus' attention, but the silver mechling was too occupied with prodding Pax to notice. Starscream was taken over with a fierce jealousy. He pushed himself to his pedes and he walked over to investigate, hanging on Megatronus for support.

"Hai," Orion giggled sweetly. He purred up at them, unable to stand for long. Instead he sat on his knees and he reached up to be held, the way Megatronus was helping Starscream stand. Instead Megatronus pushed the little sparkling down, earning a squeal from Soundwave, an assistant at the day-care center.

He shook his helm in disapproval and he lifted Megatronus to set him into the playpen used for time-outs.

"I'll getchu for this, Pax!" Megatronus sat down heavily on his aft, glaring at Orion while he purred and waved sweetly. Starscream glared at him as he ran to his master, squeaking and trying to help him out (Plan B was to get in with him, which was established when Soundwave took pity on the little Seeker and he put him into the playpen as well). Megatronus growled as Starscream nuzzled him happily and he shot another glare to Pax.

The little sparkling laid down for a nap, curling into a ball as he listened to sparklings squeal and run around. He cried out when someone tripped over him and he blinked at the suddenly shy sparkling that laid across him.

Knockout blinked his blue optics over at Pax, slowly pulling each leg over his body and moving so they did not touch. Pax secretly missed the feeling of Knockout touching him and he whined quietly.

"You okkee?"

"I fine," Knockout promised. He stood slowly, then sprinted to hide behind the biggest sparkling, a blue mech with a red face: Breakdown.

When Soundwave scooped Megatronus and Starscream out of the playpen, the silver mech immediately pulled away from the Seekerling and he stopped as far away as he could possibly get from Pax. There he sat on his little blanket fort/tower and he glared at the little Orion while he curled back up to sleep.

There was suddenly a cry of pain and Soundwave left to retrieve the medic, a young mech by the name of Ratchet, and they walked to tend to a fallen Starscream. The Seekerling sobbed, having been pushed down the fort by Megatronus.

"What happened, little one?" Ratchet touched his bent wing and he gently cooed to calm him.

"I-I fell," he whined, his little wings shaking as he laid on his belly. "Meggy tried to stop me, but he couldn't grab me in time, and I fell."

Orion crawled over and he put his servo on Ratchet's knee, whining softly as he looked up at him. "I help?"

"Yes, lovely. I need you to hold him still, okay?" He purred as he watched Pax hold the Seekerling in his arms and he gently bound the wing so that it would heal straight. He felt a surge of jealousy when he saw Orion hold the Seekerling, but he pushed it aside. He was no older than the little mechling, he decided. _It would be a short while before we can possibly date_. He smiled at the thought, then he stroked each of their helms. "Get some rest, baby Seeker."

Orion watched the medic go with Soundwave and he smiled, slowly setting the Seekerling down on the floor so he could crawl and lead him back to a small fort in the other corner of the room.

"Can'tchu walk?" Starscream stood as he tipped his helm, watching the sparkling crawl.

"No," Orion admitted and he looked up at the Seekerling.

Starscream bit his lip, then he helped Orion to his pedes. "I gotchu…"

"Thank you," he murmured quietly and he let the Seekerling guide him to the fort in the corner. "Hewwo?"

Wheeljack ran out, putting his servo out. "Stahp. Who goes dere?"

Bulkhead poked his helm out, then retreated back inside with a low giggle.

Orion smiled and could not help but giggle as he held onto Starscream. "I Owion Paxth. Who you?"

Wheeljack looked him up and down, then shrugged. "I Wheeljack, but you can cawl me Jackie. Bulky does. Wewl, come on! Into da fort!"

Orion dropped to his servos and knees and he crawled in beside Starscream, gasping when he saw Bulkhead, a femme, another mech, and a smaller sparkling bundled up in the femme's arms. "Hai!"

Starscream sat closest to the door, ready to flee (since he wasn't exactly welcomed by anyone due to always being seen hanging around Megatronus, who was the day-care-bully). He watched the mech kiss the femme's cheek and he looked away again.

Wheeljack sat down against Bulkhead and they sat there, watching the sparkling in the femme's arms as he slept.

The femme spoke first. "I Arcee. This is Tailgate, and this is Bumblebee. He an orphan like us. We come to day-care to play sometimes, but we not here all da time."

Orion smiled gently as he nodded. He had seen the orphan buses come by to drop them off when he sat by his window. Sometimes the orphanages just didn't have enough room or enough volunteers to watch all of the sparklings that came in.

He smiled and he coaxed Starscream closer as he purred a bit, falling asleep against him.

Ratchet came to fetch the sparkling, purring when he found him with his friends. He lifted Orion out of Starscream's arms and he smiled gently when the sparkling woke up. "Hello, little one. Your mother is here to take you home. Did you have a good time here?"

Orion smiled gently, his optics dim as he nodded. He purred. "When can I come back?"

The medic laughed as he slowly passed the sparkling to his carrier. "You can come back whenever Stormchaser drops you off again, okay, baby?"

Orion hugged his carrier's neck, falling asleep slowly until Stormchaser spoke.

"Did you make any friends today, Orion?"

Orion thought about Starscream, Arcee, Tailgate, Bumblebee… He smiled and he laid his helm down on his shoulder. "I did, Mama… Can I come back soon?"

"Yes, lovely. You can come back."

Author's Note:

OMG, I _love_ writing them as sparklings! This could possibly turn into a series! X3 Who should make a surprise appearance!?

*GASP*

The Dinobots!


	2. Chapter 2

Orion ran beside Soundwave, clutching the larger mech's servo as he giggled and squealed loudly. Soundwave stopped to open the door, and to pet his helm fondly, then he pushed Orion gently into the playroom, where he had placed all his friends.

He had been going to the day-care center almost every day due to his split-spark, Nemesis, getting sick and having to go to the hospital, which was in the furthest city. His carrier would be back for him later in the evening.

He immediately ran to the fort where he had last seen Wheeljack (he had learned to walk and run due to Starscream and Wheeljack and his carrier constantly helping him). "Hi!" (He even spoke near-perfect Cybertronian now).

He crawled into the fort and he frowned when he found it was empty. He felt a little claw prod his back and he looked behind him at Starscream. "Where is everyone?"

"The orphanage." He sat down slowly, his wings flicking up slightly as he watched the little mechling. "Megatron is there, too…" He whined sadly for his closest friend, but at the same time he squirmed to be closer to Orion. He felt torn between the mech that he loved and the mech that adored him. He closed his optics slowly.

Young love was a complicated thing.

Orion held the little Seeker close and he purred gently as he rubbed his back, then the door opened and Soundwave deposited two twins on the ground, waving at them to go play, but the purple one was curled defensively around the green baby.

Starscream stood up to go greet them and Orion padded after him, purring when he saw they blinked up at him.

"Hello," Orion greeted. He held his servos out to help them and he gently guided them both to their pedes. "Is this your first time here?"

The green sparkling nodded slowly, but the purple sparkling frowned and kept silent. Orion knew he wasn't much of a talker, so he smiled and helped the smaller of the twins to the fort.

"There was more of us, but they are at the orphanage." He laid the green sparkling down on Tailgate's make-shift berth of blankets and a stuffed Predacon. "I'm Orion Pax."

"I'm Skyquake, and that's Dreadwing," the tiny sparkling squeaked. He let his brother lay beside them and they held each other. Orion envied that kind of brotherly love.

Nemesis was too small for him to nuzzle and cuddle, so he could only lean into the crib and smile at him. He wanted to touch him, but he was too rough. He gave a soft sigh.

Starscream leaned against Orion and buried his face in the sparkling's side, falling asleep. Orion held the Seekerling there, enjoying the warmth.

Starscream had become a brother to him. He thought that the little Seekerling would always be his friend.

When it was time for Orion to go, he had to unbury himself. Dreadwing, Skyquake, and Starscream had all laid on top of him during naptime. He laid each one back down on a pillow that was still warm from him, then he slowly snuck out of the fort to wrap his arms around his carrier's legs. "Hai, Momma!"

Stormchaser knelt and rubbed the sparkling's helm, then stood straight, taking his son's servo. "I have a surprise for you, lovely…"

"You do?" He walked beside his carrier, looking up.

"Yes. Nemesis is a little stronger now, but not ready to wander around and go to day-care just yet. While he is recovering, you do not have a playmate at home. A new shipment of sparklings came in the orphanage today…"

Orion was young, but he understood that volunteer mechs and femmes would go around big cities and gather the abandoned younglings and sparklings that they found. Dozens of new babies were coming in every other day, and the orphanages teamed up with the day-cares to care for them all. Cybertron was a caring planet. Orion loved it.

"I was wondering if you wanted a brother or a sister."

Orion squealed. "A brother!"

"I thought so," Stormchaser purred. He squeezed his son's servo as they came closer to the orphanage. "I have a few picked out already. They are all bigger than you, of course, but only one is actually your superior."

He giggled and he walked into the orphanage with his carrier. The attendant at the desk stood and stepped over two napping sisters to get to them. "Welcome, Stormchaser! The babies are this way." She knelt and tickled Orion's chin. "Your son is _so_ cute!"

"Thank you," Stormchaser purred. He released his son's servo. "Go and check them out, dearie. I will be resting here."

Orion blinked worriedly up at his carrier, then he slowly let the attendant take him away into another room. He saw his carrier fall to his knees and clutch his helm before the door closed and he found himself face-to-face with another sparkling.

"Who you? Roommate? No more berths for you! Gah out!"

Orion submitted to him, kneeling and pressing his face into the floor in front of the mechling's pedes. He had done this once before in his life, and that was to Nemesis before his brother got sick. That was only playing, but it still counted, at least to Nemesis.

The attendant stopped making a berth. "Dagger, be nice, lovely. He could be your brother, you know."

She swept her arms out as she introduced Orion to the three mechlings in the room. "This is Dagger, Nightowl, and Ultra Magnus," she finished, her digits resting on the bigger sparkling.

Orion walked to Nightowl, who was black and purple and fidgety. He was a Seekerling, like Starscream, but he was frightened easily and he wouldn't look Orion in the optics. He hugged him gently, stroking his helm as he purred lovingly, but the Seekerling squawked and hid behind the attendant.

Ultra Magnus looked back at him, then flinched when Orion looked up at him. He had been denied a home ever since the mech that found him brought him here. He backed up a step, but the sparkling still advanced. He looked for a way out. Orion wrapped his arms around the larger sparkling and Ultra Magnus stiffened in the embrace.

Orion stroked his helm. "I love you, Ultra Magnus…I'll never let anyone or anything hurt you."

Ultra Magnus sunk to his knees and he buried his face in Orion's neck, clinging to the smaller sparkling as he shuddered slightly.

Orion purred gently, hearing Stormchaser agree to adopt Ultra Magnus.

"I knew he would pick the lovely dear, I just wanted to be sure," he said as he filled out the proper paperwork. He guided his sons home.

Orion knew two things as he held Stormchaser's servo.

One, he had a new brother.

Two, there was something terribly wrong with his carrier, and he was scared that he would lose him. He squeezed his servo tightly, whining quietly at the thought of winding up in an orphanage, the thought of Ultra Magnus going back, the thought of Nemesis going with them… How would the little mechling survive under Dagger?

Stormchaser squeezed his servo back and he smiled at him, making the worry go away and Orion quickly forgot about his anxiousness. He giggled up at the mech, then smiled at Ultra Magnus.


	3. Chapter 3

Orion led Ultra Magnus and Nemesis into the day-care center. He waved back at Stormchaser, who had to go out and about to do errands with a friend. He smiled at his three healthy sons and he waited until Soundwave waved them all in. He nodded gratefully to the mute, then gave him a warm cube of Energon. The mute nuzzled the mech gently, curling his long digits around the cube. He closed the door behind him, then swept a nervous Nemesis into the room filled with squealing and squeaking sparklings around his age.

Orion instantly tore off to the little fort, pushing Ultra Magnus in. He looked back for Nemesis, but he saw Starscream standing in front of his brother, and since he trusted the Seekerling, he followed Magnus into the fort.

Megatronus walked up to the littler mech, grinning. "You look like Orion."

"I his brother," Nemesis murmured. He looked down. He had played the dominance game with Magnus, who towered over him. He was still rather small due to being sickly, but Stormchaser believed that Nemesis would sprout back up.

Megatronus nodded as he thought, trying to lead the sparkling back to his own fort, but Starscream was firmly latched onto his arm. He hadn't been back two hours and the Seekerling was possessive of him. He growled and shook the Seekerling off and away. "Just shove him off it he gets clingy. He's like that."

Nemesis blinked at Megatronus' show of dominance, then he skirted around the fallen Seekerling to follow him. He was impressed by the larger mechling, and he was certain that he would get as strong as he if he spent enough time around him. He watched Megatronus walk into the large blanketed area, then he ducked inside.

To his disappointment, there were no other sparklings. He had seen and heard several sparklings giggle and squeal in Orion's fort, and he was tempted to go back to his brother, but Starscream pushed him in. He whimpered and fell to his belly in a show of submission.

Megatronus smirked and he knelt in front of him. "You'll be my second now."

Starscream squeaked. "But _I'm_ your second!"

"Shut up, Starscream! Learn your place!"

The Seekerling's helm lowered and he backed away into the far corner of the fort. Nemesis frowned as he watched, but Megatronus distracted him by pulling the little sparkling to his pedes.

"Second to what?" He tipped his helm.

"I'm going to be the leader of Cybertron!"

It was a large goal, even for mechs like his carrier, but great leaders had to start somewhere, Nemesis thought. Why couldn't they start in a day-care?

"So far, it's me as leader, you as second, and Starscream as third." Megatronus sat down on his makeshift throne made from blocks and a blanket throne over it. Whenever it fell, he would slap Starscream until the Seekerling rebuilt it. He was a perfect little war-tyke.

"Well, if you need an army…" Nemesis looked out of the fort and he saw a dull red mechling lean against a giant blue mechling. "What about those two?"

Megatronus followed his gaze. "Knockout and Breakdown? Maybe. Go get them and come straight back."

By the time snack-time rolled around, Megatronus had acquired a little femme that no one had noticed before (probably because she cut herself off and spent most of her time in the corner of the room covered by beanbags and blankets so no one could see and laugh at her extra legs that sprouted from her back), Knockout, Breakdown, and he even had Soundwave playing along as third.

Starscream found himself at the bottom of the pecking order, so he wandered over to Orion's fort. Nemesis, believing it all to be play, grabbed Starscream's wings like he had seen Megatronus do a thousand times that day, and he tugged him back for punishment.

Orion couldn't hear Starscream's cries for help until Soundwave squealed in disapproval and his brother and Megatronus found themselves in the playpen for fifteen minutes while Ratchet tended to Starscream's wings (again). Orion ran out to see what the fuss was about, and he tripped over a block getting to Ratchet and the sobbing sparkling under his servos.

He smacked into the medic's back, making the slightly older mech purr and blush as he turned around to see him. "Hello, little one. Come to see your friend? He will be fine. Nemesis and Megatronus were pulling him around by his wings again."

Orion's optics widened when he heard his brother's name and he backed up. "Nemesis wouldn't do this…"

Starscream sniffled at him, hissing. "You think I make this stuff up!?" He sobbed when the sudden outburst caused his wings to twitch painfully and he curled back up, letting the medic gently massage him.

Pax looked away then, and he let the first tear roll down his cheek. "I don't know what to think… I know my brother. Nemesis would never hurt you, not on purpose."

Soundwave approached them then, gently lifting the Seekerling. He lifted Orion next, and he set Starscream down in Wheeljack's fort. He carried Orion over to his brother.

Orion saw his brother sulking in the corner and he squirmed to be put down. As soon as his pedes touched the padded floor of the playpen, he scrambled to his brother and he swatted his helm lightly. "What were you thinking?"

"I was playing," he whined. He tried to wrap his arms around his brother, but Orion stopped him. He looked up at him and he saw that Orion was still furious. "Meggy does it."

"I don't want you to be around Megatronus anymore."

Nemesis' optics filled with tears. "You just don' want me to have friends!"

Orion's optics softened then and he pulled his crying brother into his arms. He stroked his helm and he gently tipped his helm up as he held his face in his servos. "You know that not true," he whispered. "You don' need friends like Meggy. You can be friends with my friends. You gonna like Tailgate and Wheeljack." He nuzzled his little brother, and even planted a kiss on the top of his helm. "You're okay."

Nemesis purred quietly against his brother and he nuzzled against his chest.

Megatronus watched them with jealousy and envy, his blue optics narrowing.

A slight hint of red appeared in their blue depths then, and he curled his little servos into angry fists.


	4. Chapter 4

Orion held himself. He blinked his cloudy optics as hot tears ran down his cheeks.

He sat in the hospital in Soundwave's lap. Nemesis and Ultra Magnus were napping, but Orion couldn't bring himself to sleep, not while his carrier was in the emergency room. Against Soundwave's better judgment (and against the rules) he kept Stormchaser's sparklings in the day-care during the night and all day. He _should_ have taken them to the orphanage, but they were cramped, and the owners could not guarantee that the three brothers would be in the same orphanage.

A nurse walked to them, biting her lip as she chewed over the difficult bit of information she had been given. "Stormchaser will recover, eventually, but he will never be the same again…"

Orion whined and he blinked up at her as tears rolled down his cheeks. "Momma?"

"I am afraid your carrier will not be able to care for you, any of you. But, we can try… We can see how well he operates with you three. Perhaps he is not entirely lost to us."

Orion watched his carrier stumble around the room a bit, shaking his helm as if to clear it. He had to pull Nemesis out from under his pedes. His little brother was holding out a cube for him to fill up, a nurse watching in case they had to take Stormchaser away.

Forever.

Stormchaser focused his optics on the cube for a bit, then turned away. Orion felt hopeful and then Stormchaser came back with a pot of dirt, and he poured it and the Cyber-lily into the cube.

He heard the tapping of digits on a datapad and a disapproving sigh. He whined and he pushed Nemesis out of the way as he forced himself to growl at his carrier.

"No! Energon! Give him Energon!" He grabbed his carrier's servo and he showed him the Energon cubes. "Give him Energon!"

Nemesis was promptly doused in Energon. The little sparkling fell on his aft and cried up at his carrier, not understanding. He wanted a cube of Energon, not a cube of dirt and an Energon bath!

"No!" Tears sprang into Orion's optics and he grabbed his carrier's servo as he pressed his face into it. "Momma…" He sobbed, which provoked the similar response from Magnus.

With three sobbing sparklings and a confused carrier, the nurse stood and she ushered the sparklings into their rooms.

"I'm sorry, dears, but you three must go to the orphanage. Stormchaser is not allowed to have sparklings, not while he cannot care for you three. I will contact the open orphanages as soon as I get to my office. Have sweet dreams, my dearest sparklings."

Orion sobbed and he held onto his brothers, their sobbing attracting the attention of Stormchaser.

He slowly, and awkwardly, sat down as he slowly held his arms out for the babies. Though he did not understand, he wanted to hold the sparklings. That function and desire was still in his being.

Nemesis and Orion nuzzled each other as they crawled into Stormchaser's arms. Ultra Magnus crawled in after them and he purred lovingly when Stormchaser rubbed his helm and back.

Slowly, the mech rocked back and forth, back and forth, purring and nuzzling each sparkling. He smiled down at them and he tickled their chins fondly. He set them down and rubbed their tummies, then their backs as they fell asleep.

His optics glowed dimly as he watched them sleep, and it wasn't long until he heard Orion's sire whisper in his audios.

_Oh, Stormchaser…what has happened to you?_

"I no know," he giggled. He looked around the room, but he couldn't see the mech that had given him sparklings. He frowned and was about to cry. "Primie!?"

_I am here, love. I am right here_.

Orion woke up in the morning and he watched Stormchaser sleep beside them. He whined when the mech twitched and murmured gibberish. He sighed and he slowly stood. He knew that the nurse would come back to collect them, but he wanted to make one last attempt to keep his carrier, to keep his home.

He was only one sparkling, he knew, but he wasn't going to let that get in the way. He was young, but he wasn't stupid.

The High Council could keep the sparklings from the orphanage and Stormchaser from being put out of his misery.

When the nurse came to take them to three different orphanages, she found three bleeding and sobbing sparklings in the arms of a shaking Stormchaser.

The nurse panicked, knocked the mech unconscious, and rushed the sparklings to Ratchet's MedBay. "I found them in Stormchaser's arms, bleeding and sobbing. He's _crazy_! He _needs_ to be put down before he _hurts_ someone!"

"That's enough Starbright… Let me tend to their wounds." He cleaned the sparklings up and he purred gently to soothe them.

Orion grabbed his digit. "Momma didn't hurt us," he whispered. "I did. I bit my brothers. I made them bleed."

"Why? Orion, I'm beginning to think that you're as crazy as your carrier…"

"I did it because I need you to set up a meeting with the High Council. If Starbright takes us, we're going to separate orphanages. Ultra Magnus has been out of an orphanage for a matter of days now…"

"Orion, I'm just a medic."

"I'm just a sparkling. I won't be able to do much. It will have to be you."

Ratchet rubbed his helm softly, sighing as he thought. "There is one mech with the ability to get what you want. He's an old mech, older than most of us here. In fact, I think he's the oldest mech, especially older than the High Council members, so they honor him a lot."

Orion tipped his helm as he watched him. "Who?"

The medic hesitated for a moment as he thought, then he sat down in his chair and he smiled softly at the sparkling. "have you heard of a mech named Alpha Trion?"


	5. Chapter 5

Orion sat in the day-care, hugging his knees to his chest. He didn't want to be around anyone right now, not even his own brothers.

Stormchaser was being held in a padded room in the hospital, where Soundwave went to check on him. So far, all the mech did was walk until he could not take another step, then he would turn ninety degrees, and begin walking again. He wasn't refueling, wasn't sleeping, and wasn't stopping.

The hospital staff were going to put him down, put him out of his misery, when the High Council called to bring the defective mech to them.

Soundwave ran in to retrieve the sparklings as Nemesis played with Megatronus, Ultra Magnus laid with Wheeljack on his back, and Orion sat in the middle of the room.

The mute hurried the sparklings out of the day-care, but not before the whole troop of sparklings ran out to join them. Soundwave, being the only attendant on duty that day, was not going to try and shovel them all back in. Besides, he couldn't just leave them alone.

Megatronus might do something stupid again.

The High Council greeted the sparklings as Stormchaser sat in front of them. He jerked and twitched, falling onto his back until Orion helped him sit up. He was immediately wrapped his arms around the sparkling and he hugged him close.

The watching mechs and femmes "aww"ed at the response, but "aww"s wouldn't save the mech from being extinguished.

Nemesis ran to his carrier, pulling Ultra Magnus along. The sparklings hopped into the carrier's lap and they buried their face in his chest. Stormchaser rubbed their helms and jerked his helm around to see them all.

Alpha Trion watched silently for a moment, then he walked to the four mechs. "And you want to separate these four mechs? Look how Stormchaser is treating the sparklings. He is still careful. He still has the drive to take care of the sparklings, no matter what damage he has taken. He is their carrier, and they cannot be separated. I know you all think that the orphanages will keep them together, but they are cramped, and cannot guarantee that they will stay together. Ultra Magnus was just adopted a few days ago by Stormchaser. Is it really fair to take him back when Stormchaser is still capable of caring for the little ones?"

He looked around at the teary femmes and the frowning mechs. He knew he was jerking at the femmes' sparks, especially the ones that had adopted or had sparklings of their own. He looked up at the High Council, then he smiled at Stormchaser, who was cooing to his younglings. "That is all," he murmured.

When he stood, the nurse that had watched them stood and she read from her files. "Stormchaser is mentally disabled, and could be possibly dangerous if the sparklings make him nervous or frustrated. They are still young, so it is possible that they will scare him and he will attack them. I do not want myself, or any of us to be responsible for the deaths of three mechlings, a death that we could have prevented by exterminating the problem."

She sat down, leaving the sparklings to stare at her with tears rolling down their cheeks.

Stormchaser hiccupped, starting to giggle into his sons' helms. He kissed each helm, then he slowly started to stand straight. He held his sons in his arms and he rocked them in his arms.

The High Council murmured together about their options, glancing at Alpha Trion, at Starbright, and then down at the family.

Should they pull them apart and risk Stormchaser howling through the process of snuffing his spark? Should they separate the split-spark twins and their adopted brother? Or do they keep the sparklings with their carrier? Was Stormchaser stable enough to care for the three of the sparklings?

Orion sobbed as Soundwave set him down in the day-care. Soundwave gently set Nemesis and Ultra Magnus beside him.

The High Council weren't going to make any decisions today. They were going to wait and sleep on it, go through the results, and sleep some more. At least, that's what Megatronus said as he laughed and walked to his fort.

Starscream had glanced at them, but didn't stop to soothe his former friend. He found if he ignored them, he was Megatronus' favorite again, especially since Nemesis wouldn't be there for long.

Orion pulled away from his brothers and he hid in Airachnid's corner, whining and shaking.

While everyone else went away with their parents, Nemesis and Ultra Magnus fell asleep together on the floor. Ratchet laid a blanket over them, then he found Orion laying in the corner. He lifted him up off the floor and he gently soothed the crying sparkling.

"They're gonna take Stormchaser away," he whined. He blinked sadly up at Ratchet.

"No, they won't. The High Council know what they are doing, and they are not cruel. They will see you are too young to leave him."

"I hope so," he murmured. He slowly curled back up in his arms, sighing softly. "I don't want him to go," he whined.

Ratchet laid Orion with his brothers, and then he made a call to Alpha Trion.

"What do you think will happen?"

"If Stormchaser _is_ Primus' mate, he won't let his sparklings be separated from their carrier."

"So the rumors are true? Primus sparked Stormchaser?"

"Optimus Prime, the Thirteenth Prime, had to be reincarnated, and Primus gave that sparkling to a praying mech: Stormchaser."

Ratchet nodded as he listened. "I understand now."

"So if Primus in fact has a servo in anything, as I know he does, he will keep his mate and his sons safe and he will interfere with the trial."

"How?"

"I don't know. I may be the last of the Thirteen alive that has not been reincarnated, but I do not have a direct line to the creator himself, not like Stormchaser."

"I assumed that you could just look it up in that blasted Covenant."

"I can't even read the squiggles there anymore. I have an imperfect understanding of the runes, so the future is a mystery once more."

Ratchet sighed softly and he nodded slowly. "I trust Primus."

"As do I."

_ Primus watched his sons. He watched his mate pace in the padded room. He watched the High Council discuss and debate. He pulled away from them, making the lights flicker and the tech in the room fizz out._

_ The High Council members looked at each other, hesitating, before they came to their conclusion._

Very well, Primus_, they whispered, and they closed the file._


	6. Chapter 6

The High Council called everyone together once more. They had their file of the case, and they were nodding among themselves, though none of them had said a word.

Orion stood with his servo wrapped around Stormchaser's digit. Soundwave kept his brothers in the day-care.

They didn't want to say good-bye to their carrier. They thought they knew what was coming.

"We are glad you all could come today. We are sorry for the early hour, but we need to settle this case concerning Stormchaser and his sons."

Orion clung to his servo. He was ready to say good-bye. He closed his optics.

"We originally agreed that it was beneficial for the sparklings to be separated from their carrier, as was it better for the carrier to be released to the core."

Stormchaser jerked around, trying to walk away, but Orion kept him there. He scolded his carrier gently, tears rolling down his cheeks.

"But we have seen the error in that choice, so we have decided that it would be better for the sparklings to remain with their carrier."

Orion's optics widened and he blinked up at the High Council. Mechs and femmes cheered in delight and they surrounded the mech, spooking him and making him jerk around and blink in surprise, but he was soothed by Orion.

Nemesis and Ultra Magnus were surprised to see their carrier standing in the doorway to collect them.

Wheeljack looked up from laying on Ultra Magnus' back and he squealed in delight.

Everyone knew that the sparklings were probably going to lose their carrier, and they were often found sobbing in the day-care, so the sparklings were famous.

When the ones that were worried most about them saw Stormchaser alive and well, they ran to the mech and they hugged his legs. The carrier squealed in delight at so many sparklings and he knelt to gather them up into his arms.

Orion turned when he felt a tap on his shoulder and he smiled at Starscream. The little Seekerling smiled back, then he hugged him gently.

"I'm glad you get to keep your carrier. I'm glad the High Council saw that you still needed him." He buried his face in his neck, but pulled away instantly when he heard the angry growls from Megatronus.

Orion caught him as he whined gently. "You don't have to follow him. I've seen what he does to you. You don't deserve that."

Starscream shook his helm. "But I love him, and I know that he loves me."

Orion sighed and he slowly released the Seekerling. "I hope you're right, Starry."

"I am," he murmured, then he bolted to stand beside the future warlord.

Orion gave him a nod of respect, but Megatronus bared his denta at him.

The mechlings stared at each other for a long time before the smaller one looked away to guide his carrier home. He knew that he was going to have trouble with Megatronus and his loyal Seekerling later on, but he could not deal with that right now.

_**Years later…**_

Orion walked to the day-care, and he stood outside of it. He smiled at the old building, though it was falling apart and he could only recognize it by the sign. He walked inside, looking around the room he grew up in. He knelt by Wheeljack's fort, that still stood, and he peeked inside curiously.

The blankets were still piled up the way they had been when he was there.

The day-care had been closed due to the fact that sparklings were becoming rarer and rarer in little towns. He remembered when Stormchaser stood in front of the day-care holding his son's servos and tipping his helm in confusion at the CLOSED sign. He had tried the door, then whined sadly before he slowly drug his sons back to their home.

Stormchaser had lived a long, long life during his time with his sons before he passed away in his sleep.

Nemesis had to be pulled away from their carrier by Ultra Magnus. He would not let anyone else take their carrier away, which brought tears to Orion's optics, but it had to be done.

They couldn't keep Stormchaser forever.

He looked up at the sky and wondered if Stormchaser was up there with Primus as he thought about them, and if he was the way he was before he was crippled.

_ Stormchaser opened his optics slowly, expecting to see Orion or Nemesis or even Ultra Magnus bent over him, trying to coax him out of the berth and onto his pedes. He would smile and try to speak, but his processor couldn't get his mouth to move the way he wanted, so he would often gurgle or giggle, and let them tow him around to where he needed to go._

_ Sometimes, however, he didn't need that help. He liked his sons caring for him the way he had cared for them, and he enjoyed the way Orion was turning out: selfless, compassionate, and caring._

_ He had made Primus proud, he knew._

Rise, Stormchaser_._

_ Stormchaser blinked around until he found Vector Prime standing several feet away, blinking soft blue optics with a hint of a smile on his face._

It is good to see you again.

_The mech got to his pedes and he walked to stand in front of him. He smiled up at him. "It's good to see you," he murmured._

_Vector Prime just nodded. _Primus is expecting you.

_Not many mechs or femmes saw Primus, except for the Twelve. Primus would make anomalies arise when he desired a certain outcome, but that was pretty much it._

_ He had only seen Primus once himself, though he heard and felt him several times during his crippled state._

_ "Then we should not leave him waiting." He led the way, and he began to feel the rest of the Twelve walk with him, starting with Nexus' shoulder bumping his and ending with Onyx's snout touching his cheek. He loved Onyx most of all, and he kissed his snout. The original Predacon tossed his helm in delight and blew smoke out of his nostrils._

_ He smiled, stopping when he saw a faint blue orb settle in front of him. He had seen this orb several times, and he knew it as Primus. He secretly wished the orb would become Primus' true form, as he had seen that when the Creator answered his prayers and he fell in love with the Creator, but the orb remained, glowing blue._

Welcome to the Core, Carrier of Thirteenth.

_Stormchaser smiled. He knew he would not be reincarnated._

_ Few mechs that had this greeting would be reincarnated. He regretted the fact that he would not see his children again, but he knew he could watch them from the Core, and sure enough, he felt his sons through their bond._

_ He gave a sigh of relief and he walked the rest of the way into the Core, glancing around at the Primes._

_ Few mechs and femmes had a Prime escort them, and fewer had the Twelve as escorts. He closed his optics and exhaled as he became one with the core of Cybertron._

_ In the core, time has no hold on the occupants, so Stormchaser was confused when he stumbled across a mech that he had not seen in what seemed to be a few days._

_ The mech had certainly changed._

Stormchaser!

_The mech was excited, and that made Stormchaser smile and open his arms. He still towered over the mech, even though it had been eons since they had last seen each other and the mech had obviously had an upgrade._

It is so good to see you,_ the mech murmured into his chest._

_ Stormchaser stroked his helm. _I am glad to see you as well, my dear Orion.

_The mech looked up at him, and he smiled as tears rolled down his cheeks. He pressed his face into his chest again and he gave a shaky exhale. _You are alright…

Well, of course I am. I am in the core of Cybertron, after all. One with the Core does things to you, corrects errors made, corrects accidents that affected the way I had been intended…

_The mech sniffled slightly and he pulled away, laughing a bit. _It began in the day-care. This stupid war, it began in the day-care.

_Stormchaser gave a knowing smile. _Do you regret it?

Not even a little bit.


	7. Epilogue

**Epilogue:**

Wheeljack walked down the streets of Cybertron. He hugged himself as he peeked into store windows that had long been shut down. Some of the things inside were ancient. Untouched, but ancient. He had to smile when he saw armor decals. Primus knows how long ago it was when it was the _cool_ thing to get a decal of a heart, or a flame design on your armor.

He stopped when he saw something he recognized, something from his childhood.

The Day-Care Center for Sparklings.

He ran to it and he wrenched open the door. He gasped when he saw that everything was the way it had been. Even the little fort he set up still stood. He knelt in front of it and touched the worn fabric of the roof. He sighed longingly. Everything had been relatively easy when he was a sparkling. He sat down and looked back at the time-out playpens.

He stood and walked to them, dragging a digit over the dusty edge. He remembered the way Starscream had begged and pleaded to be put in the same one as Megatron, and he remembered the way Optimus scolded his brother for being like Megatron.

It struck him that alliances and friendships and been formed in this very room. He recalled the way Ratchet would watch Orion. He thought it was protective, but it was more than that.

Ratchet had Clicked with Orion. He smiled and he laughed out loud.

The laughter drew Bulkhead inside.

"Whoa," the bigger mech said as he looked around. "This place still stands?"

Wheeljack nodded, cradling Tailgate's stuffed Predacon to his chest. "Yeah," he murmured. He smiled and laughed quietly, stroking the old and dusty fabric. "Think we could get this place running again?"

Bulkhead leaned in the doorway, chuckling. "You're really attached to this place, huh?"

"Of course. It's where I met your fat aft." He poked his chest, smirking. "And since we are the official rulers of Cybertron…"

"Jackie," Bulkhead warned, but a smile pulled at his lips.

"I don't see why we can't give this place a kick in the pants. I mean, if Cybertronians are going to be reborn and if refugees are coming back, that means that femmes and mechs are gonna fall in love, drag each other to the birth, and…"

"Jackie, this _is_ a day-care."

"And _bang_! Sparkling-boom of the century."

Bulkhead looked around the room, nodding slowly. "So, you think you can really run a day-care? That takes a lot of work, you know. And we need to clean it, rebuild it, fix it, restore it…"

"Hush. You'll ruin my _can-do_ attitude."

Bulkhead shook his helm. "This is going to turn into a five second project, then you're going to get tired, and it's going to lay here feeling sorry for itself, and then you're gonna cry because you didn't accomplish anything..."

"Are you suddenly psychic? I didn't think so. Come _on_, Bulk, let's do this!"

"Well, first we'd have to get permission from Pri-…Ultra Magnus…"

Wheeljack tapped his chin thoughtfully, looking a lot like Miko as he did. Bulkhead smiled. "He'd look at us funny, but I'm sure if we emphasize on sparklings and interfacing, then he'd just give us the plans to the day-care."

Bulkhead covered his face with a servo and shook his helm, chuckling. "You're 'coning our poor poor leader…"

"He'll be fine. _Please,_ Bulk?"

"Fine, fine," he said finally. "But don't drag me into this. I have to restore some other, more important buildings."

"Like what? The bathhouse?"

"Of course."

Wheeljack scoffed, set the Predacon down and he took Bulkhead's servo. "We'll go Good Cop Bad Cop on him."

"What happened to interfacing?"

"We'll do that _after_ we talk to him, Bulk! What are you thinking!? Interfacing in front of our leader! His poor optics!"  
>"<em>Wheeljack, that's not what I meant and you know it!<em>"

oOo

**So, was that a good ending for the story? The ending was kind of….blah, so here's the Improved Ending x3**

**I think I'm going to do this for all the stories that sound **_**blah**_** at the end.**

**I've done a lot of stories, published a couple of them here, but this one is probably the all-time favorite one I've managed to produce. 3**

**Also,**

**DON'T BE AFRAID TO TELL ME YOUR IDEAS FOR ANOTHER STORY BECAUSE I AM SERIOUSLY HUNGRY FOR IDEAS!**


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